Over the weekend I was discussing slow cooker recipes with a friend who asked if I had any super easy ones for beef stew and a good old pot roast. Both the stew and the roast recipe are excellent for “simmering” all day and coupled with a few simple side dishes are complete meals in themselves. The beef stew is fantastic with all the vegetables right in it. All you need is a loaf of crusty French bread.

Advertisement

Advertisement

■Crock Pot Stew

Serving size: 6

2 pounds beef stew meat or round steak, cut in 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups beef broth or bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove minced garlic

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon paprika

4 carrots, sliced

3 potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced

Put meat in Crock Pot. Mix flour, salt and pepper and pour over meat; stir to coat meat with flour. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover, cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Stir stew before serving.